Business Letter Writing
Points to remember:
 Plan your letter before you start writing to
make sure it says everything you want to say
and says it in a logical sequence.
 The layout and presentation of your letter is
important as they give the reader the first
impression of the firm’s efficiency.
Points to remember:
 Ask yourself if the letter represents your
organization in a correct way.
 Accuracy is important. Pay special attention to
titles, names and addresses, prices and
specifications, enclosures.
 Ask yourself if the recipient will understand
your letter quickly.
 Include just the right amount of information in
your letter (better include too much than too
little).
Points to remember:
 Use a simple but polite style of language.
Beware of idioms.
 With a very few exceptions, business
correspondence is being word processed in
most places of business.
 Your letter should be clear. Take care with
abbreviations and figures.
Elements of a business letter
 letterhead or return
address,
 date line,
 personal or
confidential notation,
 inside address,
 attention line,
 salutation,
 subject or reference
line,
 body or text,
 complimentary close,
 signature,
 name and title lines,
 identification line,
 enclosure line,
 copies line,
 postscript.
A Letter Sample
Sender’s address/Business
Letterhead
November 27, 2013
Date
Inside
Bredgade 51 DK 1260
Copenhagen K. DENMARK
address
Soundsonic Ltd.
25 Warwick House, Warwick Street,
Forrest Hill,
London SE23 1JF UNITED KINGDOM
Attention line
For the attention of the Sales Manager
Subject title
Quadraphonic sound systems
Salutation
Dear Sir or Madam,
Body of
the letter
Please would you send me details of your quadraphonic sound systems which were advertised in the
April edition of Sound Monthly.
I am particularly interested in the Omega range of equipment that you specialize in.
•Looking forward to hearing from you
Complimentary close
Yours faithfully,
Signature
B. Kaasen (Ms)
Title (p.p.)
Production Manager
Enc. :
Encl.:
Bill of loading (5 copies
Bill of exchange (1 copy)
Copies
c.c. Messrs. Poole & Jackson Ltd. Solicitors
Tips
 The elements of a letter should be neither too
widespread nor too dense.
 If your letter is brief, use larger fonts. It will look
better.
 The format should convey information clearly and
logically, reflecting your organization’s style.
Letterhead
Letterhead
A good letterhead should be:
 readable, informative and attractive BUT
 not too attention occupying
Mandatory elements:
 firm name,
 address (including zip code and area code)
 telephone number,
 www.
Optional elements:
 a logo,
 the executive’s name and title,
 a list of board directors or other governing bodies.
Date
The date is written bellow the sender’s address, sometimes
separated from it by a space.
 Two most common forms:
November 27, 2009 (AmE)
27 November 2009 (BrE)
 The month is never abbreviated, the day is never spelled out,
and endings for numbers (27th) are not usually used.
 The shortened date can also be used:
11/27/2009 (AmE)
27/11/2009 (BrE)
Confidential or personal notation
Example:
Private & confidential
 Below the date but above the address of the person
you are writing to (recipient)
 Between the date line and the inside address.
 The same notation should be put on the envelope.
Inside address
The address of the recipient:
Soundsonic Ltd.
25 Warwick House,Warwick Street,
Forrest Hill,
London SE23 1JF
UNITED KINGDOM
 Always on the left and single spaced.
 The recipient’s name (if stated) is followed by the
company’s name, the department or division, the street
address, city postal code and country
 If one of the lines is very long, put half of it on the next
line, indenting two or three spaces.
Recipients
 The recipient’s name (if stated) and the title are separated
by a comma
 The title can be underneath the name or omitted.
 If you are writing to more than one person, make a list of
the names in alphabetical order.
Attention line
Example:
Attn: Sales Manage
 This is used when you do not know the name of the
person you are writing to.
 This line can also be printed before the address of the
company.
Subject title
Example:
SUBJECT: Quadraphonic sound systems
The subject title
 Provides a further reference,
 Saves introducing the subject in the first paragraph,
 Immediately draws attention to the topic of the letter,
 Allows the writer to refer to it throughout the letter,
 Quickly identifies the purpose of the letter,
 Should be less than one line/ one or two words.
Reference line
Example:
Ref No: 99887/09
 References indicate what the letter refers to (Your Ref.)
and the correspondence to refer to when replying (Our
Ref.).
 When referring to an order number or to a reference
number used by you or your recipient, make sure you quote
all references accurately.
 It can be placed instead of the subject title.
Salutation
Example:
Dear Sir,
Dear Sirs,
Dear Madam,
Dear Sir or Madam,
Dear Mr. James,
 Should be written below the address and with a space of one
or two lines before the body of the letter.
 It is followed by a comma (,) or a colon (:), which is
optional
Body of the letter
Deals with:
 how much information to give,
 how to plan a letter,
 what sort of style to use,
 how to make a letter as clear, informative and accurate
as possible.
Length
The length depends on:
 the subject of the letter
 the style and the language used.
The right length includes the right amount of information.
Sequence
 All the necessary points should be made in a logical
sequence
 Each piece of information linking with the previous one
in a pattern that can be followed.
 SO, put the ideas and information in logical order.
Style
Avoid slang, jargon, buzz words, and elitist language.
Avoid the passive voice. Use the active voice and active verbs.
Use full forms.
Be brief. Give short but clear explanations, instructions,
reasons. Be specific. State the facts.
 Be pleasant, positive, lively, and encouraging.
 Use the word “you” in the opening sentence, but avoid using
too many “you”-s in your letter.
 “I”-s should be used when you are speaking about yourself.
 “We”-s should be used when speaking on behalf of your
company or a group of associates.
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First paragraph:
 State the main idea in the first or second sentence of
your letter.
 These sentences should catch the reader’s eye and get
him to react to your letter.
In the first paragraph you will:
 Thank your correspondent for his letter (if replying),
 Introduce yourself and your company if necessary,
 State the subject of the letter, and
 Set out the purpose of the letter.
Second paragraphs:
It is the main part of the letter
It is concerned with :
 points that need to be made,
 answers you want to give or
 questions you want to ask.
Final paragraph:
When closing the letter ….
 Thank the person for writing, if you reply.
 Encourage further enquiries and correspondence,
 Mention that you look forward to be hearing from
the person soon.
 Important issues from the previous paragraphs may
be restated.
Complimentary close
Example: Yours sincerely,Yours faithfully,
Yours truly,Truly yours, (Am.)
 If the letter begins Dear Sir, Dear Sirs, Dear Madam,
or Dear Sir or Madam, it will close with Yours
faithfully.
 If the letter begins with personal name (Dear Mr.
James), it will close with Yours sincerely.
 Leave one line between the body of the letter and the
complimentary close.
Signature
 The signature block consists of your typed name,
your handwritten signature and your position in the
firm.
 The handwritten signature should be between the
complimentary close and the typed name and title.
Name and title
 Four or more spaces should be left below the
complimentary close for your name and title.
 A courtesy title (Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms.) may be included.
 Omit the name and title if they appear on the
letterhead.
Enclosures
 Small enclosures (checks, folded flyers, business
cards) are placed inside the folds of the letter.
 To safeguard against overlooking them include an
enclosure line in your letter.
 When your enclosures are bulkier, use an
appropriately sized manila envelope.
Enclosure line
Enc. : or Encl.: Bill of lading (5 copies)
 Enclosures may include leaflets, prospectuses, CVs
 They can be mentioned at the bottom of the letter
after Enc. or Encl.
 If there are a number of documents, these are listed.
Copies line - c.c. (carbon copies)
Example:
C.c. Mr. Jones
 C.c. is written when copies are sent to people other than
the named recipient.
 put c.c. and list the individuals receiving the copies of the
letter by full name and title.
 b.c.c. (blind carbon copies) is written on the copies
themselves (not on the top copy) if you do not want the
named recipient to know that other people have received
copies.
Per pro
 The term per pro is sometimes used in signatures and
means:
for and on behalf of.
Postscript
Example:
P.S.
 A note for additional attention is usually put on the left,
two or three lines below the last line